NBCUniversal is one of the longest running users of SnapStream. From “The Soup” to E! News, they’ve got every SnapStream use case covered. The man behind it all, the pulse of SnapStream at NBCUniversal is Stefan Lysenko. His role was created to manage SnapStream, so he knows the platform in and out, backward and forward. He spoke with us and shared some of his workflows and tips for managing the platform and how SnapStream, and his role, have changed over the years.

Stefan is a unique customer for SnapStream. He manages requests from ALL shows or departments at NBCUniversal (E! News, Bravo, Access Hollywood, E! Online, E! News Now) and uses SnapStream to record, clip and share. NBCUniversal has one of the largest SnapStream setups with 50 channels being recorded simultaneously, 12 shows/teams using the platform and 9TB of storage per tuner card. It's a monster setup.

Q: Tell me about your role at NBC Universal?

Stefan:I manage SnapStream at NBC Universal as I am the main contact overseeing the platform. Everyone will tap me first to find a solution to address the current challenge, issue or question for TV recordings. As far as maintenance, I handle all the conflicts. We can record 50 things simultaneously, so I manage the priority list to make sure everyone gets their needs met.

We also have a backup TV tuner, to ensure we don’t miss any recordings. I’ve developed a “hunch” recording. Because we have the ability to record so many things, sometimes I can take a look and think, “someone is going to want that”. I get plenty of requests from people that may have missed a recording and they’re double checking with me to see if I happened to grab it. When things go wrong, if there’s a bad tuner, etc. I’m the first one to address the issue, and get one of our engineering team members to address the issue. At the same time, I’m trying to find a way to get our production team the show they need. So, that’s when I may tap into the backup server.

Q: Do all of the shows under NBCUniversal that use SnapStream go through you?

Stefan: Exactly, my role was has been created around this. We’ve been a SnapStream customer since it’s infancy, and you’ve all done so much to expand and evolve the platform. Our SnapStream use has really broadened over the years.

Some of the NBC groups using SnapStream have very unique tastes and needs. For instance, “The Soup” focused on clipping really odd moments in television and pop culture with commentary by a comedian (Joel McHale). They had PA (production assistant) scouring all these odd cable shows, finding these wacky things, using that to build the show. Whereas, E! News is very traditional.

Our entire SnapStream user base is very diverse, there are so many different uses. We have some groups that are recording things just to see the commercials.

“We’ve been a SnapStream customer since it’s infancy, and you’ve all done so much to expand and evolve the platform. Our SnapStream use has really broadened over the years."

Q: Can you walk me through your SnapStream workflow?

Stefan: And now to our workflow..! We've been able to manage our SnapStream workflow with only one full-time employee (myself).

When new users are added, they are logged into the SnapStream system and given a small welcome packet outlining the SnapStream tools and details along with the SnapStream login link used for access.

TV show searching and clipping details are outlined for our new users and the new social media tools are highlighted since they are powerful, seldom used tools that SnapStream has recently added to their software. New users are given a SnapStream TV show recording request link/template, so that they can request recordings directly through our team. Last but not least, new users are added to our SnapStream group email list so that all users can be notified and updated with one single email contact, while they're also given a SnapStream Operational group email address that accesses our core team directly (including SnapStream engineering) in times of important needs.

Q: How has SnapStream impacted the workflow at NBC Universal? Did it replace another system, or did SnapStream open up an entirely new department?

Stefan: We’ve used SnapStream from the beginning. When SnapStream came out with the most current version, our department leaders asked me to research similar companies to find a comparable solution before our upgrade. I tried, but I came back and said “I suggest we stick with SnapStream”.

Q: Which shows are using SnapStream the most, which ones are seeing the most success with the platform?

Stefan: When it was on-air, The Soup was a huge user of SnapStream.

Currently, our biggest user is E! News. On a consistent daily basis, E! News is clipping off segments or scenes from such shows as Live with Kelly, The Voice, The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Good Morning America and Dancing with the Stars to name a few. Those clips are then inserted into packages and edits that run on-air. For example, Jimmy Kimmel’s Mean Tweets segment would be clipped off in order to air on E! News. Or when Kelly Ripa returned to work from being away after Michael Strahan’s announcement – her first day back & monologue was clipped off and edited into a package that aired on E! News.

On the Digital side we’re doing a lot of the same work. On Tuesday night for example when the two Dancing with the Stars “Pros” got engaged, E! Online editors clipped that segment and posted it on our site along with a write up of what happened on set.

As a social posting, we'll pull Live from the Red Carpet or during an actual award show. Social would grab the moment off the Oscar’s telecast where Jennifer Lawrence fell going up the stairs to accept her award and would create a GIF on our pages at that moment after it happened.

Bravo is a big user for monitoring their own shows. They aren’t building a show with it, but they’re using it in their broadcasts.

Q: Is there one aspect of SnapStream you see as particularly beneficial to your organization? One feature you couldn’t live without?

Stefan: We’re in a phase with our user groups being so traditional. They really been sticking with the key features of SnapStream, recording and clipping. One thing I believe to be underused is the social media aspect. Sharing clips to Twitter and Facebook. There’s so much that can be done there, you could really have just one person dedicated to the social media aspect of SnapStream.

The team at SnapStream has been incredibly helpful and supportive of us, they have our back. And I enjoy pleasing our users. When you get that appreciation from your users and the support from the SnapStream team, it’s just icing on the cake.

We're back, y'all! Team SnapStream just wrapped from exhibiting at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas.

NAB Highlights

Our booth was awesome this year!

We got to meet with hundreds of folks in the television and entertainment space, plus government and education, too. Everyone was digging our new social TV features for sharing TV moments to Twitter and Facebook. We had some beta features on display, exclusively for the NAB crowd, including time-coded tags and the new transcript word cloud.

But the best part, hands down, was showing new people what SnapStream can do and watching their eyes light up! When you demonstrate how easy it is to schedule recordings in our program guide, search by keyword and pull up a clip, people are amazed. Our established workflow solves a very real problem for organizations out there, who are still using DVRs or don't have an existing or easy way to manage television.

We're excited to help more people overcome their TV recording challenges, and provide all the right tools for efficiently tracking and monitoring TV.

#WalkingGIF

As soon as you walked up to SnapStream's booth, you were immediately greeted by a smiling and waving shark. The one and only #LeftShark, as seen on TV... and Twitter!

Many people hadn't seen a real, live GIF in person before.

Let alone, a GIF that walks and talks!

The #WalkingGIF made waves around the Las Vegas Convention Center, and made friends with everyone he met.

If you tweeted a photo, video or GIF with the #WalkingGIF, you could enter our contest to win a free Apple Watch. How could you win? Well, you had to get the most engagement on Twitter (highest total of retweets + favorites.)

All in all, our 9th NAB Show was a huge success. We were inspired to meet new people we can help, and there's nothing we love more than continuing relationships with our amazing customers. See you next year for our 10th anniversary!

Social media + TV go together like peanut butter and chocolate. Don’t believe us? Check out this Twitter Media Blog detailing stats from the recent social media storm caused by the Syfy Network’s “Sharknado 2: The Second One.”

The newly released SnapStream 6.4 makes it easy to engage with your fans/viewers through social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook. It's so quick to post images, TV clips and animated GIFs, because you can "do it yourself," without help from video production or anyone else.

Tweets and TV, Side by Side

Inside SnapStream, for the first time, you can watch the broadcast of any TV show AND what viewers are live-tweeting about it, side by side, in one window through our "Tweets Tab."

Tweets are automatically categorized so our "Tweets Tab" automatically works for 200+ US channels. Just pull up a national TV show and you'll see tweets about that show, from the Twitter firehose, displayed side by side with the show itself.

And to make it easy to find the right TV moment, you can click on any tweet to "snap" to that moment in the broadcast. From there you can reply to an individual tweet with a TV screenshot, animated GIF or video clip.

With our "Tweets Tab," you can engage people watching your TV show with unprecedented efficiency -- there isn't a better way to "engage your follower's followers."

And live-tweeting does wonders to boost follower growth and to build a strong social audience for your TV show, according to a recent Twitter study.

Here's how SnapStream can help your TV show maximize engagement on Twitter and Facebook for every minute of your broadcast, to boost viewership and Nielsen Social TV Ratings.

Tweet and Reply on Twitter

Did you know that simply adding an image to your tweet can double your engagement rate? SnapStream 6.4 gives you a quick, seamless tool for replying to tweets with embedded TV clips, images or animated GIFs.

This allows you to engage your viewers and fans in a one-to-one fashion, in real time, with the actual TV moments they're talking about. Tweet, rinse and repeat to amplify 100s of engagements into 1000s.

The clips you create for Twitter are stored in SnapStream’s cloud forever (no limits on storage!) and the images and animated GIFs are stored directly on Twitter.

Create viral buzz with memes! SnapStream 6.4 allows you to overlay text onto any TV screenshot, so you can add a meme-like photo caption or a message to drive more followers.

We support multiple Twitter accounts per user and users can easily and securely add their own accounts without the need for an administrator to be involved.

Post Directly to Facebook

Ensure viewers will come back for more by capitalizing on your content’s ability to keep viewers hooked between episodes. SnapStream 6.4 allows you to compose Facebook posts directly inside of SnapStream that contain screenshot images or even TV clips directly from the show.

With all the content you'll be posting, you might be curious where those videos and images will be stored. All media content is natively embedded and hosted on Facebook.

With SnapStream 6.4, you can publish content directly to your Facebook Page. Are you managing multiple Facebook pages? SnapStream supports multiple Facebook accounts, so you can securely manage all of your Facebook Pages from a single SnapStream log-in.

Create and Share Animated GIFs

GIFs are at the heart of many Internet memes and viral phenomenon. SnapStream makes it easy to create and share animated GIFs on the Web and to social sites like Twitter and Tumblr. It’s one of SnapStream’s essential tools for repurposing your show’s content and engaging fans online.

SnapStream 6.4 makes it easy to adjust frame rate and speed so you can highlight those awesome sports moments (or bloopers) with slow motion. In this case, we had fun speeding up this SNL clip with Kristen Wiig, Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake!

HOUSTON, TX — On Tuesday, June 17, the hosts of morning radio show "The Roula and Ryan Show," on 104.1 KRBE, started up a fun conversation about late night TV. You see, the night before, "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" aired its newest rap remix featuring NBC News anchor Brian Williams.

If you haven't seen it yet, you seriously need to watch Brian Williams rap "Baby Got Back," which has racked up more than 3.8 million views on YouTube and counting. All of these Brian Williams raps have gone extremely viral, because they're just plain hilarious, with "Rapper's Delight" topping them all with 11.9 million views. Whoa baby.

So, back to the radio show: SnapStream was surprisingly brought up in this context and we thought, "Cool, they're talking about us on the radio!" Our TV search and clipping technology is known as "the secret weapon" to creating satirical clip montages at "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," "The Soup," and "The Colbert Report."

While "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" is not a SnapStream customer (yet), they totally should be! They could crank out these Brian Williams raps at a furious pace if they were using our ridiculously fast TV search. Just sayin'.

Take a listen! (SnapStream's mentioned around 2:15 in the clip.)

And thanks again to the team at "The Roula and Ryan Show" for the amazing shout-out on the air, in our shared hometown of Houston!

First and foremost, let me start by saying, “Welcome to the family “Last Week Tonight,” John Oliver, and the entire team of producers, editors, and show writers!”

In case you haven’t heard, “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” selected SnapStream’s TV recording and search technology to help build the TV clips and content that will be used on the show. (Here is the press release)

Need an example? Next time you tune in (the show airs every Sunday on HBO) watch for the pop-up TV clips that John Oliver references throughout the show. Those clips are pulled using SnapStream!

How They Use SnapStream

With SnapStream’s technology, the team at “Last Week Tonight” is able to quickly search and aggregate mass amounts of current, often obscure, TV content from worldwide sources. This technology, along with John Oliver’s undeniable genius for political satire, is the perfect equation for comedic gold.

Just ask Ari Fishman, a producer at “Last Week Tonight” who said,

“SnapStream has proven itself to be the premiere product for high-volume television recording and search capabilities.

We are hoping to achieve an extensive SnapStream footage archive that we can effectively use as our primary research tool. SnapStream keyword searches makes it a very organized user experience, and we anticipate growing our SnapStream library. All of our producers [are] confident in SnapStream’s capabilities.”

A Favorite Among Many Shows and Networks

“Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” is not alone in their hunt for an efficient way to find and repurpose specific TV content. They join a host of successful shows and networks including “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” “The Colbert Report,” “E! News” and “The Arsenio Hall Show,” to name a few. All of these shows, and many more, use SnapStream’s clipping, content repurposing, and archival for their shows.

In fact, SnapStream is known throughout the broadcast and network industries for its ability to quickly research interesting commentary, news trends, and comparative talking points.

Here is what some of our current clients have said recently:

“It would be impossible to generate the amount of content our show requires without a [technology] like SnapStream. The immediacy with which we can research and distribute video has been invaluable to our creative process." - The Colbert Report

“Night in and night out, SnapStream helps us create the freshest monologues in late night.” - The Arsenio Hall Show

“SnapStream is a single solution for creating and packaging aired content for distribution to advertisers.” - MLB Network

So next time you tune into “Last Week Tonight”, or any of the other shows mentioned, wow your friends and family by letting them in on the secret behind those TV clip pop-ups - SnapStream’s TV search technology.

Whether you're a current user or considering SnapStream for the first time, you'll find that everything in the new version helps to enrich your production workflow for recording, searching, clipping and repurposing TV content.

What's new to see at CCW?

AirPlay, search, clip and share TV from your iPad Collaborate using SnapStream's iPad app during your production meetings. Use AirPlay to display TV recordings and clips from your library in H.264. You can also run searches, create clips and share them in the cloud. Enjoy all of these features on the go, with the mobility and convenience of the iPad.

View multiple channels simultaneouslySnapStream's new multi-viewer enables you to watch up to four content streams simultaneously for a multitude of workflow applications, such as comparing what's airing on your competitors' channels at the same time.

Watch TV and read the transcript, side by side Monitor the broadcast video and televised transcript in a new interactive way, using Snapstream's new auto-scrolling transcript. Click on any keyword in the text to jump to it. Skip from one keyword mention to the next. Resize the windows to switch your focus from reading to watching, or keep it right at 50/50.

Monitor TV live and fullscreen Enjoy the ability to track live, real-time events and freely flip between channels without recording anything to disk. Use the new fullscreen option to expand the video display for presentations or just to get a closer look.

Want to schedule a meeting?

CCW takes places at the Javits Convention Center in New York City, Nov. 13 and 14. SnapStream will be at booth 753 (see map below). We recommend setting an appointment with us in advance: schedule a meeting here. But, you are also welcome to swing by anytime during the show hours. See you there!

SnapStream enables TV show creatives to easily search TV and incorporate TV clips into their programs. Shows like The Soup,The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Reportall tap into SnapStream's endless supply of up-to-the-minute pop culture and news clips.

Video clips are suddenly everywhere. They have jumped from the Internet and splattered all over TV. Talk shows, entertainment/comedy shows and even hard-hitting news programs have all added TV clips into the mix of writing and production.

How do they do it?

You have The View re-broadcasting and commenting about what was said on Fox News; CNN reporting on a skit from Saturday Night Live; and E! News recapping Jersey Shore and all the latest episodes of reality TV.

Because of how easy it is to create a TV clip and play out to SDI, all of these shows have embraced the clip culture. And we have to admit, we think it's pretty cool how the landscape of TV is changing before our eyes.

With fair use, The Daily Show (and all shows) can embed and comment on any content, from any network. So now, TV is this amazingly interconnected ecosystem. Does it remind of you something? (The Web!)

In short, we love supporting and cultivating this fresh new format of TV, so please join us at CCW in New York City next week:

Before I began researching the news comedy programs outside the U.S., I had no idea what the world had in store. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart has inspired so many TV shows and spin-offs worldwide, that the initial query of "who are they?" evolved into a four-part series. (See posts 1, 2 and 3.) Right on key, the Foreign Policy in Focus recently wrote about the Global Stewarts, too.

We have learned that comedy and politics are tightly integrated, not just at home, but abroad. It's been good to pop out of our own "cable TV bubble" and to see how the international crowd entertains, from living rooms in South America to Israel. In today's final batch of shows, you'll see that every nation's comedic style reflects the social and political culture of the population. Comedy is how people make sense of, poke holes in, and cope with the critical, and oftentimes trivial, events gripping their daily lives.

Heute-Show

About: The Heute-Show is a straight-up German adaptation of The Daily Show hosted by Oliver Welke. Meaning "today show," Heute-Show is a nightly half-hour news comedy program that mock reports on current issues in the political landscape of Germany, as well as international news. If you're fluent in German, you can enjoy watching a full episode featured above. Viel Spaß!

Where: Cologne, Germany; Channel ZDF

First Aired: 2009

Fun Fact: Anchorman Oliver Welke also co-wrote a book called heute-show with a writer from the TV series, Morten Bold.

Al-Bernameg

About: Born out of the Egyptian revolution and Syrian uprising of 2011, grassroots Al-Bernameg has become a political tour de force and nationwide television sensation. Literally "The Program," Al-Bernameg began as a viral phenom on YouTube, gaining millions of viewers under the title The B+ Show. Host Bassem Youssef says he was inspired by The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Ten episodes later, ONTV offered to take Youssef into broadcast production three times a week, making national history as the first show of its kind. Youssef also became the first media personality to successfully transition from a YouTube Show to broadcast television.

Where: Cairo, Egypt; ONTV

First Aired: 2011

Fun Fact: Before emerging as a TV star, Dr. Bassem Youssef was known as the cardiothoracic surgeon who helped wounded Tahrir Square protesters after the Battle of the Camel. Clearly, he's certified to dissect "the heart of politics" using his own razor-sharp wit.

Parazit

About: Parazit is a Persian-language satirical TV show hosted by two Iranian ex-pats, Kambiz Hosseini and Saman Arbabi. The weekly half-hour show, which originally aired as a 10-minute segment, has now developed a mass following with Iranian audiences. Directly influenced by The Daily Show, Parazit pokes fun at the absurdities of life in the Islamic republic, giving audiences an outlet from their oppressive government. Parazit translates to "static," which references the Iranian government's attempts to jam foreign satellite programming.

Where: Parazit airs on Voice of America, which airs overseas to Iran via satellite, the Internet and bootleg DVDs. Since the show is broadcast from the United States, it is able to bypass the government's strict censorship.

First Aired: 2008

Fun Fact: The hosting duo, Hosseini and Arabi, made a guest appearance on The Daily Show in January 2011.

Eretz Nehederet

About:Eretz Nehederet (ארץ נהדרת), which means "A Wonderful Country" in Hebrew, is Israel's smash hit spoof news show. Every Friday night, Israeli audiences tune in to enjoy the show's political satire as a welcome source of comic relief. Eretz Nehederet reflects the nation's current affairs, institutions and leaders, with an irreverent style similar to The Daily Show. Host Eyal Kitzis, often compared to Jon Stewart and Ali G, works alongside the country's brightest comedians to make one of the most watched and influential shows on Israeli TV.

Click above to watch the skit, Angry Birds Peace Treaty, which conveniently uses English plus subtitles to translate all of the squawking.

Where: Tel Aviv, Israel; Channel 2

First Aired: 2003

Fun Fact:Eretz Nehederet airs on Friday night (the Sabbath), which means no TV for observant Jews. But, because of the show's permeative effect on Israel's popular culture, a religious lawmaker successfully got the station to air repeats of the show during the week.

If I Were Prime Minister

About: If I Were Prime Minister of Japan (太田光の私が総理大臣になったら…秘書田中) is a prime-time news satire show starring Hikari Ōta, a standup comedian who gives his take on running the country, in a country where direct political satire is considered taboo. Acting as Prime Minister, Ōta begins every show with a radical manifesto that will somehow bring bring peace to Japan and/or the rest of the world. The guests of the day then heatedly debate both sides, lampooning Japan's typical political debate shows. The New York Times wrote about how Ōta is pushing the boundaries of political satire in Japan, saying that he is the closest thing the country has to Jon Stewart.

It seems that content is blocked from the U.S., so I couldn't find a clip to share with you.

Where: Tokyo, Japan; Nippon TV

First Aired: 2006

Fun Fact: Despite the extreme nature of the show, Ōta steers clear of certain topics, such as the imperial family and North Korea, because of the complexities and a general lack of public understanding.

Following up on yesterday's post: We're exploring international TV shows equivalent to The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, in terms of their cultural significance and satirical style. To kick off our trip around the world, let's take a look at the funniest fake news TV shows of South America and Italy, where everyone loves Tarantino movies and double entendres. As awesome as descriptions are, it's even more telling to watch the clips!

Caiga Quien Caiga

About:Caiga Quien Caiga, translated to "Whoever May Fall," is the big front-runner on the world stage, having won an International Emmy for Best Non-Scripted Entertainment in 2010. Also known as CQC, this Argentine TV show is a weekly news mashup that injects current affairs, show business and sports with humor and irony. When you watch the clip featured above, you'll get the futuristic, rock-concert vibe right away. CQC has also been adapted in Spain, France, Chile, Italy, Brazil, Portugal, and briefly in Israel and the Netherlands. The hosts vary from country to country, but in Argentina, they are Juan di Natale and Guillermo López.

Where: Argentina et al; Canal 13.

First Aired: 1995

Fun Fact: All presenters on the show wear trademark black suits and sunglasses, inspired by Quentin Tarantino's movie Reservoir Dogs.

Custe o Que Custar

About:Custe O Que Custar, translated to "Whatever It Takes," rounds up weekly events in politics, the arts and sports with a satirical slant. The show, also known as CQC, is directly modeled after its successful counterpart, Caiga Quien Caiga. In the episode featured above, in the Política segment (15:45), the "reporter" appears to be hounding various public officials with ridiculous, off-the-wall questions. Even without speaking Portuguese, you can get the flavor and context! They're known for adding humor with superimposed thought bubbles, graphics and sound effects. The hosts are Rafael Cortez, Felipe Andreoli, Oscar Filho, Monica Iozzi, Mauricio Meirelles and João Pedro Carvalho.

Where: São Paulo, Brazil; Band Network

First Aired: 2008

Fun Fact: Really, who knew Reservoir Dogs was so influential in South America?

Le Iene

About: Le Iene, translated to "The Hyenas," is another adaptation of CQC. The show features comedic sketches and reports covering political affairs and consumer issues. One of the show's most popular recurring sketches, besides the mock news reporting, is the "double interview," in which two people are asked the same questions. Their answers are then edited together on a split screen, so that they answer one after the other. You can watch an example of the intervista doppia in the clip above. The current hosts are Ilary Blasi, Enrico Brignano and Claudio Amendola.

Where: Italy; Italia 1

First Aired: 1997

Fun Fact: Le Iene was also the release name in Italy for the film Reservoir Dogs. And you guessed it: all the presenters on the show don the signature black suits, white shirts and black ties prescribed by the movie.

Striscia la notizia

About:Striscia la notizia literally translates to "the news slithers" in Italian, but more accurately means "strip the news." Stricia airs right before the regular news, which gives it the perfect stronghold to sneer at government corruption and rip scams to shreds. The show is hosted by Ezio Greggio, Enzo Iacchetti, Michelle Hunziker, and the comedy duo of Ficarra and Picone. One of the show's segments can be translated to "the new monsters," and it shows the best and worst of TV, using clips and witty commentary, kind of like The Soup on E!. Watch the clip above for an example.

Where: Italy; Canale 5

First Aired: 1988

Fun Fact: The term striscia has a variety of double meanings which relate to the show's editorial voice: cocaine, which conveys excitement; comic strips, which are funny; and snakes, which are sly.

If you've heard of SnapStream's TV monitoring technology, you've likely heard The Daily Show with Jon Stewartand The Colbert Report mentioned in the same breath. While we can't take credit for Jon Stewart's acerbic on-air personality or Stephen Colbert's deadpan delivery, we can say one thing: we are the television search technology behind the news-driven humor.

The Daily Show took a trailblazing comedic direction, focusing on politics, current events and the hypocrisy underlying it all. The show's editorial voice has become deeply influential to our society, confirmed in a phenomenon called "The Daily Show Effect," according to American Politics Research. Look at the books written about the topic, too! (See: News Parody and Political Satire Across the Globe)